1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a cashless spending system and method. It more particularly relates to such a cashless spending system and method, which are particularly useful in a confined area of a facility such as an amusement park, theme park, large retail store, ship, or other.
2. Background Art
The information contained in this section relates to the background of the art of the present invention without any admission as to whether or not such background art legally constitutes prior art.
In certain environments, such as amusement parks, theme parks or other such facilities, there-ordinarily are a variety of attractions, as well as park amenities, such as restaurants, gift shops and other facilities where guests can make purchases during a given interval at time such as during the time when the person or persons are visiting the facility. Frequently, groups of people, such as families, attend facilities such as amusement parks or the like, and each member of the group will have a certain amount of cash or otherwise budget a certain amount of money to buy various services and products during the stay in the facility.
Thus, people are required to carry cash with them, during the day's events for many of the amenities. Also, some of the people in the group may be younger children who may either stray from their parents or attend other attractions or amenities throughout the facility and are thus separated from their parents or other members of his or her group during those periods of time. During such time of separation, the children may or may not have cash to make purchases.
Moreover, it is often times desirable for the group to limit their expenditures during the day for budgetary purposes. This is not always convenient or possible when the group divides up and separates during the day. Cash carried by the individuals can be lost, especially where the attractions include fast moving rides, thereby making it more difficult to make purchases in the confined environment of the facility.